JERSEY CITY – Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s office released a statement Thursday afternoon in response to comments made by Gov. Chris Christie after Christie’s press conference on the “Bridgegate” scandal (see related links below).

Here is the complete text of Fulop’s statement:

Governor Christie’s comments today on my relationship with the State are a gross misrepresentation of the facts. The reality is that the State requested the DEP meeting held yesterday in Jersey City regarding his administration’s concern that the Hurricane Sandy Recovery/Blue Acres Program is struggling. We took the meeting his administration asked for as it is our responsibility as elected officials.

Nearly every single meeting we have requested with State commissioners with regard to proactive Jersey City issues has been unfortunately rejected over the last six months, along with countless requests we made to the Port Authority. Cancellations include an entire day of meetings with State commissioners scheduled to be in Jersey City that was abruptly cancelled, with each of the commissioners individually canceling within an hour of the time I communicated my intention to not endorse.

We vigorously represent the interests of our city every day and to be the focus of inaccurate claims will not deter us from our goal of making Jersey City the best mid-size city in America.